From the beginning of time, this world has been governed by the laws of physics. Which makes sense, because the laws of physics were created to model the patterns of our world. Its actually fairly tautological. But despite this obvious comparisons, it remains an important topic of study, because at its core it is a continuing quest for understanding of the natural world, and it allows us to do great things with that knowledge. While most of my blog posts describe physics, because I wanted to use a post title with no actual relation to any subcategory within physics, I have decided to discuss the merits of the field and the reasons it is worthwhile to learn, not just for the engineers but for everyone.

I, personally, feel the merits of physics are obvious. Unlike certain other fields of study, physics has immediate applications into our modern lives. In our digital world devices like computers, planes, cars, skyscrapers: these all are made possible by the past research of physicists and other scientists. But what isn't as clear to most people is why they need to learn physics, as potentially someone whose desired career path will have little to nothing to do with the inner workings of our world. And in some part I agree: you simply won't need the technical details surrounding how to calculate the various values associated with certain things, as physics teaches us to do. But there is value in having simply a general understanding of thinks regardless its eventual impact on your future. Personally, I find the ability to be able to look at something and say "I understand that" is valuable. However, what I find most important in my study of physics is the "scientific culture", as you may call it: the fact that what we learn is founded on a desire for knowledge, a willingness to test and experiment to find the truth. This is the true value of physics, to non-physics people: the root philosophy of curiosity and a desire to expand one's knowledge is entirely transferable to other fields, and can be applied in day-to-day life.

Essentially, physics, even to me, a prospective scientist, is as much about the mindset as it is the content. The sense of wonder and amazement scientific observations impart to me is the reason why I enjoy it so much. It's a return to the roots of human nature and understanding, to our innate desire to learn and inspect. For me, it allows the childhood feelings of mystery and intrigue and wonder to resurface, and it expands the possibilities of our world further and further until they're only limited by our imaginations.

A few hundred years ago, had I looked up into the night sky, saw the stars, and said "That's nice". These days, on warm, clear nights, when I've looked into the sky, I've seen the stars, and knowing the sheer distances that light has traveled, the immensity of the stars they came from, and the vast swathes of time that have elapsed during their journey has only made them more amazing. Moments like that is why I find physics so amazing.